Getting
"our" children to school safely is our number one concern. In order to
ensure the safety of all children we expect all students to behave
appropriately at ALL times-remember bus transportation is a privilege.

It only takes a few minutes to review these bus safety tips with your children. Please make the time for the safety of all our children.

Student Discipline on Bus

The bus driver is responsible for order and behavior on the school bus. All behavior problems will be immediately reported to the Principal and Transportation Department. Depending
on the infraction, disciplinary measures will be taken including, but
not limited to, the following: a verbal/written warning, parent conference, bus
privileges being suspended (one, five, thirty-day, or indefinite
suspensions). During this period, the student’s parent/guardian is
liable and shall provide transportation to/from School.

**Prior
to the opening of school, students are assigned to a specific bus and a
specific bus stop. Bus passes are mailed to all eligible students,
indicating route, stop, and time. Adult family members are encouraged to
remind children of all rules and regulations.

All students should know the following School Bus Rules and Safety Guidelines:

Be at your designated stop 10 minutes prior to bus arrival.

Never stand and or play in the roadway while waiting for the bus. When possible stand on the sidewalk!

Behave in a courteous manner while waiting -- be considerate of others property.

Walk
facing the traffic-the school bus has many "blind spots". Do not
attempt to come up from behind; chances are the driver will not see you.

Stay in the "SAFE ZONE" ---ten feet in front of the bus. Never cross behind the bus.

Wait
until the bus comes to a complete stop before entering (you should be
at least 3 GIANT steps from the curb to allow the driver to pull the bus
up to the curb) or leaving.

Always remain seated, facing forward with a seat-belt on.

No eating or drinking.

No
student will be permitted to ride on any bus other than the one to
which he/she is assigned, unless approved by the Principal and the
Transportation Department.

Late
buses are solely for active bus students who stay for extra curricular
activities/athletics. These students must have a valid AM/PM bus pass,
their pass from the advisor/coach, and use only existing stops on
existing activity routes. Please note: any student retained for detention purposes may not use the late bus.

Keep
conversations at a "normal’ volume, with no vulgar language or gestures
to the driver, other passengers, or passersby. This is a serious safety
issue; any distraction to the driver may result in an accident.

In an emergency, remain seated and wait for instructions from the driver.

Keep all body parts inside the vehicle at all times.

The
bus driver reserves the right to assign seats and to grant permission
to open windows. (A good rule of thumb -- you open it you close it.)

Musical instruments, sporting equipment, school projects, etc. are not permitted on the bus unless
the student can carry the object safely on his/her lap. Click here for additional information.

No smoking.

Defacing
property or otherwise damaging the bus is not permitted. Charges will
be made for any damage, and bus privilege may be revoked.

No pets.

The District/contractor is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged property.

THE DISTRICT MAY USE VIDEOTAPING SYSTEMS ON ALL VEHICLES TO MONITOR STUDENT ACTIVITY.

SCHOOL BUS SAFETY REPORT

This report was written by the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Getting
children to and from school safely each day is serious business. Every
year, thousands of children are injured in school bus-related accidents.
Many of these accidents can be prevented if children know and follow
these rules for bus safety:

Rushing Roulette:

When
children are late for the bus, they concentrate more on getting aboard
than on safety. Too often, accidents result. Set your morning routine so
that your child arrives at the bus stop at least ten minutes before the
bus is due.

Stay in the safe zone:

Bus
drivers have blind spots because of bus design and many children have
been injured because the bus driver simply did not see them. Tell your
children to always stay in the "safe zone" of at least ten feet in front
of the bus.

Save the horseplay:

Bus
stops are not playgrounds. Goofing around while waiting for the bus,
especially if the play extends into the street can be deadly. Make sure
your children understand the danger.

One at a time:

Every
child wants to get a "good" seat, but it is important for children to
take their time entering the bus, lining up in a single file and not
trying to push their way through a swarm.

No distractions:

Children
may think that bus rules (no shouting, no throwing things, no
horseplay) are just to keep them in line, but there are serious safety
issues involved. They should understand the importance of never
distracting the bus driver.

Stay put:

Children
are so eager to leave the bus that they often start for the front
before the bus has stopped. Let them know that they should wait until
the bus comes to a complete stop before leaving their seats.

Cut the ties:

Clothing
with drawstrings can be a real danger because loose strings can get
caught on bus handrails. To be safe, remove drawstrings from your
children’s jackets and look for backpacks that do not have drawstrings.

Heads up:

A
dropped book can turn into a serious accident if the bus driver does
not see it. Tell your children to let the bus driver know immediately if
they drop something while getting on or off the bus.

The inside story:

Figure
out the safest route to and from the bus stop and walk it with your
children a few more times. Make sure they cross streets only at
crosswalks or corners, never darting out between parked cars, and that
they always look both ways before crossing.

The District reserves the right to add, delete or modify bus rules/safety guidelines at any time.